Gunpowder and process of making same.



5 Delaware,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS I. DU PONT', 0E WILMINGTON,'DELAWARE. YGUNPOWDEFII AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 19cc.

To all whom zit -may concern:

Be it known that I, FRA'NcIs I. DU PoN'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wil-' mington, county of Newcastle, and State of have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gunpowder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists in a new gunpowder and method of making the same, the object being to produce a powder which may be readily molded into grains or other desired forms. I

In making my new gunpowder I substi- "tute starch for a portion of the charcoal of the powder. I admix saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal, and starch, and anyother desired ingredient, the starch being of any desired per cent. of the total. I prefer to use starch in about seven to eight per cent. of the total in- I have made this compound contaming seven per cent.. (7%) of starch, seventy-four per cent. (747 of saltpeter, eight per cent. (8%) of sulfur, and eleven per cent. (11%) of charcoal. After this admixture is made I add water, preferably fromfive to fifteen per cent, and mix this with the materials. I then subject this last admixe ture to a temperature of 50 to 100 centigrade'for a time suflicient for the heat to penetrate through the ma 's. heat. upon this admix ure is to swell the starch-granules and make a paste out of the starch with the water which has been added I then press the material into to the mass. grains or other desired form, which may .be done very easily owing to the plastic condition. I then dry the grains or other form in which the gunpowder now is.

The effect of the.

Having new full described my invention,

what I claim, and esire to protect by Letters Patent, is- I LThe hereinbefore described process of making gunpowder, adapted to be'molded into grains or other desired forms, which consists in forming a gunpowder, containing starch,'mixing water therewith, then subjec ting the admixture to the action of heat sufiicient to swell the starch-granules, and then forming the powder into grains or other desired forms.

2. The hereinbefore-described process of making gunpowder, adapted to be molded into grains or other desired'forms, which consists in forming a powder, containing starch, in the proportion of seven to eight er cent. of the total ingredients, then ad ding' an amount of water from five to fifteen per cent. and mixing the same, mixture to the action of heat sufiicient to swell the starch-granules, then pressing the material into grains or other desired forms.

3. A new gunpowder containing starch and water, the starch-granules being swelled by heat. I

4. The hereinbefore-described process of making gunpowder, containing starch, which consists in subjecting said powder, with the starch in a moist condition, to the action .of heat sufficient to swell the starch-granules. i

In testimony of which inventlon Ihave hereunto. set my hand,.at Wilmington, on this 1st day of August, 1904.

DFRANIOIS I. DU PONT.

Witnesses:

IRVING EYER, WM. P. DWINNELL.

then subjecting the 

